In the Mist
by ShadowAngel595
Summary: Following his father's death, Kit feels lonely and sad. Will he find someone to comfort him?


**A/N:** Alright, so I wrote this little piece. I felt like the gap in the movie between the death of the King, the search for Cinderella left some things unexplained, and then my imagination started rolling. I hope you will enjoy it :)

 **In the Mist**

The palace was dark and deserted.

He had tossed and turned for what felt like hours. He had drifted off a couple of times, only to wake up suddenly, heart pounding furiously in his chest, breathless as if he had just run for his life.

Putting on warm clothes and boots, Kit finally gave up, deciding he would have to get some fresh air. The palace felt empty and cold. It never had before. Grabbing a woollen cloak from the stables, he found his horse and put on a saddle and stapes. Putting the cloak on, he pulled the hood up over his head before he dragged his horse out of the palace gates as quietly as he could.

The sky was dark blue and only lit up by the moon a few stars, visible through the thin cloud-cover. Kit was grateful, as he wished nothing more than to be able to escape the confines of the palace and the village unnoticed. For the first time in his life, Kit felt as though he was trapped and suffocating in the palace and in his life. He had grown up as a prince with all that entailed of joys and duties. It was a part of his soul, it defined him, and he had never once questioned his future.

He was only a young boy when his mother had passed away and he only vaguely remembered her voice and the nights that she would tuck him into bed. He was able to recall faint images of the arrangements made following her passing, but he had been too young to understand the implications of it. He remembered only the love of his father who had no doubt been heartbroken but had stayed strong and put all his time and love into caring for Kit.

They had held on to each other so to speak. Kit recalled memories of his childhood with his father with only fondness. The first time he had taken Kit with him on a trip abroad and introduced him to royal families in other countries, in the hopes that he would make friends. Friends that would one day stand by him when he was to take on a more official role as a representative of their kingdom.

The many banquettes with visits from foreign royalty and the nobility, where he would sneak a peek at the guests as they arrived, from the windows of his suite after his nanny had tucked him into bed. The first time his father had taken Kit hunting in the woods and taught him how to aim and fire at deers or pheasants so that, they would not suffer but die a quick and humane death.

Perhaps it was the memories of the hunting that had made him seek out to the woods at these early hours of the morning, where the sun was still not up. As he left the village and entered the open land, Kit noticed that there was a ground mist. He continued to follow the path for a while, and then took a left turn in between the trees. He had no specific goal but rode through the dense forest, keeping himself occupied as to not lose control.

His heart throbbed painfully in his chest as he rode through the forest and entered a meadow in which he came to a halt, feeling as though this was a quiet place, where he might find the peace he so desperately sought.

Jumping off his horse, he took it by the reins and walked it to a nearby oak, where he sat down on the ground, watching his horse graze in the meadow. It was a peaceful sight and as Kit let out a shaky breath he only then realized he had been holding back. Finally, he was alone. Out here, no one expected anything of him. Out here, he was free. Leaning forward, he rested his arms on his bended knees. His head finding rest on his arms, he finally felt himself give into to the knot in his stomach and the rising bile in his throat; treacherous tears falling at last.

He had never felt so alone in his entire life, his heart heavy with grief as he recalled the final words of his beloved father from the day before, ordering him to stay cheerful and find the forgetful girl who lost her shoe at the night of the ball. He was immensely grateful, that his father had set him free, and given him the choice to marry for love rather than advantage. At the time being however, Kit was too consumed by grief and sorrow to think of marriage.

He had never known life without his father. Now having to not only realize that his father was gone, Kit also had the tremendous responsibility to rule the kingdom. How he was supposed to stay strong at a time like this, he did not know. The pain was overwhelming and he had no idea if he could even live up to the immense expectations and responsibility that now weighed heavily on his shoulders.

When they had been at war, at least he had had his father's love and support with him as he went out to fight for the liberty of their kingdom. Now he had passed on, and Kit was left alone to make all decisions by himself. He felt empty inside, as if part of his soul had been torn out, leaving a void that was impossible to fill.

The safety net of a loving father was gone and he felt vulnerable and frustrated because he was not allowed to show it. He was expected to stay strong and lead the kingdom for the rest of his life.

Kit did not know how long he was sitting there beneath the heavy leaves of the oak but the sound of sweet singing brought him back to reality. Frowning, he blinked a few times, realizing the sun was coming up from the east. He felt sore and exhausted, as it appeared he had drifted off, leaning up against the massive oak.

He recognized the song as a traditional he had not heard in years. It reminded him of better times and he felt a gush of warmth flow through him, his spirits lifting slightly as the words of it came back to him. Perhaps it was his memory tricking him but he vaguely recalled his mother's voice singing those exact words as he was tucked in for the night for what seemed to be centuries ago.

In a way it made him feel as though his mother called out to him from beyond, reminding him that she would never leave for good. Reminding him that she would always be there, close by, just out of sight. It was a comforting thought and reminded him that although his father had passed on - walked through that invisible door in the wall, he would still be there in spirit to guide him, and give him the strength and wisdom that he so desperately needed.

Getting up to stand again, Kit realized that his horse was still grazing peacefully on the meadow. Looking around, Kit spotted the source of the singing to be a young woman with long golden hair, the loose curls reflecting the first rays of sunlight of the day. She had not yet noticed him and appeared to be lost in her own train of thoughts as she walked among the high grass, picking flowers from the meadow as she continued to sing.

Narrowing his eyes, he tried to get a better look at her. Could it be? He wanted to believe it but a small voice in the back of his head told him not to get his hopes up. No one was so lucky twice. Although - it was out here somewhere that he had met her the first time. His heart rate increased as he walked towards her.

He as though felt all air was sucked right out of his lungs and his heart skipped several beats as he recognized her.

His mystery princess.

She was wearing the same blue dress as the first time he had met her, but this time her hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders. In her arms, she already had a considerable amount of flowers in all colours. The sight was uplifting. Kit found that he was able to see past his grief momentarily, and simply enjoy the sight of this beautiful woman in the meadow at dawn.

"Good morning," he said.

She jumped at the sound of his voice, clearly not expecting any company out here at this early hour of the day: "good morning," she stuttered, staring at him with wide eyes as though she could not quite believe what she was seeing.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you miss," he said, not knowing what else to call her, as she had still not told him her name.

"It's quite alright, I just wasn't expecting anyone to be out here at this time of day," she smiled and once again, his heart skipped a beat.

He felt a tired smile cross his face as a reflex. He was not entirely sure that it did not come off as more of a grimace than actually a smile but he did not care for the time being. She frowned at him, probably wondering what had brought him here and why he was alone. Now that she knew who he really was, he could understand if she found it peculiar for him to be walking alone in the woods.

"You left so quickly the other night," he said, "you didn't have time to answer my question," he held his breath, silently wishing she would finally allow him to get to know her.

She smiled at his words, undoubtedly remembering the night of the ball with the same joyous feeling that he did. The light in her eyes and the warm smile on her face told him that his was not the only head to have been turned.

"My name is Ella," she said and he felt a touch of relief at her words.

"Ella," he repeated, feeling a smile creep on to his face.

It felt good to know that she had decided to confide in him rather than run away again. It was still a mystery to him, why she had fled from the palace the other night. He hoped that she would trust him enough to answer more of his unspoken questions. Surely, Kit realized that his position could be somewhat intimidating but he had never expected her to outrun him like she had the other night.

"What brings you here?" She asked, a curious look in her eyes.

He felt his face fall, his heart sinking as he was brought back to reality once again. He looked down at his feet, not quite sure how to bring himself to speak those words that made it all so final. She frowned at his reaction, concern in her eyes as she stepped closer to him.

His eyes met hers and he could see the pieces of the puzzle come together in her mind, as she read the look on his face as if he was an open book. How she managed to do so was a mystery to him but for the time being, Kit was eternally grateful that he needed not voice his sorrow. She understood.

"I needed some time alone," he said, voice shaking a little. He had hoped she would not notice but attentive as she was, she did.

"Poor Kit," she whispered, placing a hand on his arm as she stepped up to him, sensing his need for comfort.

He shook his head, not because he did not appreciate her attention but because he felt the bile in his throat rise once again. He felt his legs give in and fell to his knees, feeling so utterly weak and exhausted. It came so suddenly that he had no way to stop it. It did not prevent him from silently cursing at himself for having no control over the tears that now ran down his cheeks.

She kneeled next to him, the flowers in her arms falling into the high grass next to them. Her hands found his face, her fingers caressing the moist skin of his cheeks in soft motions. Leaning in, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to rest against her, offering him a shoulder to cry on.

He felt immensely grateful that he had happened to come across her on this fateful morning, realizing that this was the kind of comfort he had subconsciously been looking for, as he had left the confines of the palace a few hours ago.

She stayed with him, her hands running in soothing motions up and down his back and into his hair as he shuddered silently against her. The sun rose slowly from the east, a cascade of beautiful colours decorating the sky above them, the ground mist slowly lifting.

"Sometimes life hurts us so much that we doubt there will ever be another day of sunshine," she whispered against him, and he took a few calming breaths to try to steady himself a little bit.

"It seems almost unbelievably cruel that there should be another dawn, when you are in so much pain," she said quietly and he could not help but think that it sounded like she spoke from experience.

"But look around you now - the sun is rising and it's such a beautiful morning," she said, smiling warmly at him as he pulled his head up to look at her. She gave him a warm smile, her eyes reflecting the sunlight.

Her hands found his face once again, her fingers wiping the tears off his face, caressing his skin in soft motions. He could feel her soft skin against his stubbly cheeks and cringed inwardly for not having shaved before he went to bed. Ella however, seemed unbothered by this fact.

"You feel so broken that you are certain you will never laugh again," she whispered, looking straight into his eyes. He felt himself unable to speak as he fell into her eyes, desperate at the thought that she might not stay with him, that she might get up and run away from him again. He needed her in ways he had never needed another human being.

Her thumb moved across his lips while her other hand smoothed through his hair. The sight of her mesmerized him. In the weak sunlight, she had a radiant glow, resembling an angel as she sat there in the high grass in front of him, her face mere inches from his own. His heart leapt as he realized that one of his hands had made its way to her thigh, his fingers running gently on top of it along the smooth fabric of her dress. He had not even thought about it.

"You will laugh again, I promise," she whispered, smiling at him. Her words were so soothing and he felt relief that she had not asked him to voice his feelings. Her ability to see through him and speak for him was something he treasured very much as it was. He still did not trust his voice not to betray him again, if he had to say those words aloud. It would make it so final and real to actually say that his father had left him.

"I just had to get away," he rasped, his voice rough and heavy.

She nodded in understanding, still smiling as her hands continued to caress his face. He wanted her never to stop. Her soft touch felt almost healing. It brought back warmth from within.

"Strange isn't it - how you can be surrounded by a sea of people and still feel utterly alone?" She asked and he nodded, still stunned at how precisely she was able to describe his every thought and feeling, despite knowing very little of him. He felt himself drawn into her as if she was magically connected to him.

He frowned as she suddenly pulled away from him, grabbing the bouquet of flowers as she stood op. He was about to open his mouth to ask where she was going when she gestured for him to get up too.

"There's something I would like to show you," she said, still smiling. He nodded and got up willingly.

Grabbing his horse by the reins, he walked with her across the meadow and through the forest until they reached a beautiful house. It was old no doubt, but Kit found it charming and he was intrigued to find out more about her. He was about to speak but she merely shook her head, silently pleading with him not to ask questions just yet.

She took him through the courtyard in front of the house, through an arch and around the back of the house, where the forest lay densely in front of them. He let go of the reins to allow his horse to graze freely once again.

There, by the forest's edge was a flowerbed - or so he thought. As she led him closer, he came to realize that there were two massive stones lying flat in the flowerbed, marked with names and dates.

He felt a jolt of shock run through his system as he realized where she had taken him. Ella bent down and placed the bouquet of flowers in between the two tombstones, before standing up next to him, watching the tomb in silence.

"Your parents?" he whispered, suddenly understanding how she was able to read his mind so clearly. He felt a pang of pain in his gut, realizing that there was no other explanation. She too was alone, but in many ways her story as it was lying in front of his feet, seemed a lot more tragic. At least he would never have to worry about financial stability or survival.

She had spoken so beautifully of sorrow and about feeling alone. She had known just what to say and do, to ease his pain. Her beauty and her heartfelt words and her soft touches had mesmerized him. He had not once asked himself if maybe she was so empathic because she had been in the same place he was now. It made him horribly sad and he felt a pang of guilt for not having asked her about it.

She nodded, a sad smile now forming on her face as she sighed deeply: "So you see Kit, I understand how you feel".

He turned towards her, reading the pain on her face as she stared at the flowers between the tombstones. If only he had met her sooner. If only he had the chance to give back some of the kindness she had shown him this morning. He could not quite explain it, but somewhere inside him, something gave away. In her company, he felt no need to stay strong or put up appearance in any way.

Her mere presence made him feel free, and even at a time like this, he felt that a little of the heavy weight on his shoulders had been lifted. How or why she made him feel that way, Kit could not explain nor did he care. All he knew for sure, was that he could never let her go again. He needed her. Not only had his head been turned but she had also infected his mind and soul. She had become his sweet addiction, and he could not imagine anyone more perfect for him. His father had been right in trying to persuade him to take a bride. He needed someone by his side and looking at Ella in front of him now, he knew in his heart that she was the one for him.

"Thank you," he whispered, his arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her tightly to him, his other hand moving to brush her hair out of the way, before finding the back of her neck, guiding her towards him. Her hands rested on his chest as the kissed her softly, feeling his mind go numb as she kissed him back, sighing gently against his lips.

Pulling apart, their foreheads rested against each other, both smiling as they regained their breaths.

"Promise me something," he whispered, looking into her eyes.

"Yes?" She questioned.

"That you won't run from me again," he pleaded, wishing more than anything, that he could be close to her like this every moment for the rest of his life.

She smiled and shook her head; "I won't".

"I meant never," he said, feeling his heart race and his spirit soar as he realized what he was about to ask her; "I want you beside me, every day for the rest of our lives, if you will?"

She looked into his eyes, one of her hands finding its way to his face once again, caressing his skin softly; "If you will take me as I am, an honest country girl who loves you".

He smiled at her words; "I can't think of anything I would want more".

Leaning in, he captured her lips once again, eyes slipping shut as he kissed her. He felt her hand in his hair and tightened his hold on her, wanting her as close to him as possible. Not once in his life had he met someone like her. Her spirit, her goodness and the look in her eyes. She swept the carpet from underneath him whenever she looked at him.

Forcing himself, he pulled his lips off her as to gain breath. Her forehead came to rest against his chin, and he planted a soft kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair.

"Do you live here by yourself?" he asked, still holding her close, both his arms now wrapped securely around her frame.

She opened her mouth to answer him, but a loud shriek from inside the house forestalled her answer; "CINDERELLA!"

She flinched in his arms as if she was about to run but Kit held her tightly, frowning at the noise. Her reaction rose concern inside him. It told him that something in her life was not as it should be. It had been clear to him from the first day they met, that she did not lead the life he could have wished for.

Her response however told him a different and more frightening tale; that not only was she struggling with the grief of losing both her parents, she was also subject to abuse to some extent. It angered him to consider the fact, that someone would treat her as poorly as it seemed they were.

"What was that?" He asked, trying to mask his disgust, though apparently not succeeding from the look she gave him. Of course, she saw right through him. He would not bother to try hiding anything from her anymore.

"My stepmother," she said quietly, trying to avoid his eyes.

It only fuelled his anger further as he took it as confirmation of his suspicion that she was indeed subject to abuse. In addition, the fact that it was from someone who was supposed to provide her with love and care did not make it any better. His hand moved to his belt and the sword that rested there as a reflex. He would not have anyone treat her or anyone else this way.

"I will teach her a lesson or two," he muttered, about to turn back towards the house to face whatever horrors awaited in there. Ella however, grabbed a hold of his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"No please," she said, her eyes full of concern.

"Ella you can't honestly expect me to tolerate behaviour like that," he said, more than prepared - almost eager - to give this woman a piece of his mind.

"I am not," she said, smiling at his confused expression; "I'd rather we just left - believe me it would be much worse for them," she smiled.

Her words only made him more confused; "Them? There's more?"

"I have a stepmother and two stepsisters," she nodded.

"And they all treat you like this? Like their slave?" he asked, anger still boiling within him. He was very tempted to confront her family but surely would not do so without her consent. She sighed and nodded but kept his hand locked tight in her own, undoubtedly in an attempt to calm him down.

"Please, let's just leave," she pleaded again, pulling at his arm.

Sighing heavily, he gave into her plea but made a silent promise to himself that he would eventually deal with Ella's stepfamily and make sure they paid for their mistakes.

As they rode back towards the village and the palace on each their horse, Kit felt relief in his heart. Something told him he would never feel lonely again.


End file.
